Chapter 27 Caught in a Mess
Feeling the weight of Tyler's request, Susanna couldn't hold back any longer. "Alright, Tyler, fine. I'll do it," she relented.
"Great! I'll send the deposit right now. Check your account!" Tyler's sudden change in tone caught Susanna off guard. Shortly after, her phone chimed with a notification. Upon opening it, she was astonished to find a $200,000 deposit made.
Well, there was no backing out now. Susanna set up a time with Tyler to come measure the house and hung up.
Looking at the photos Tyler sent, a wave of bitterness washed over her. She had poured her heart into designing that wedding villa, only to be discarded. And now, she was supposed to design Aaron and Erica's wedding home!
It was clear they weren't going to leave her alone, constantly provoking her. If backing down wouldn't solve anything, she'd face them head-on.
That afternoon, Susanna stopped by the pharmacy on her way home. She bought folic acid and vitamins, then discreetly swapped the contents of the bottles. Until the divorce was finalized, she had to be cautious.
Back at the villa, the maid Brenda Martinez greeted her with surprise. "Mrs. Abbott, what brings you here?"
"I'm not Mrs. Abbott anymore. I'm the interior designer here for an inspection." Susanna smiled and walked into the hall. The familiar space felt strange with all the new decorations. She tugged at the new curtains and asked, "Who changed these?"
Brenda hesitated. "Calliope did, on Ms. Jones' orders."
Susanna wasn't surprised. After all, Erica had made it clear she intended to revamp everything once Susanna was dismissed. A flicker of sardonic humor gleamed in Susanna's eyes. "Out with the old, in with the new," she quipped nonchalantly.
"Susanna, don't be upset. Calliope changed things without permission, and Mr. Abbott was furious. He even fired her," Brenda remarked.
"Really?" Susanna was genuinely surprised. After all, Calliope belonged to Maud's faction, and and her dismissal by Aaron indicated the depth of his anger. Then again, Aaron was known for his meticulous nature and high standards, making him a tough nut to crack.
"Brenda, can you list all the changes here? I'll handle the redesign, but I need your help coordinating."
"Sure, Susanna. But aren't you going to check upstairs?"
Susanna cast her eyes downward. "Nope." She had zero interest in any remnants of Aaron and Erica's shared existence. Not in the slightest. Mentally logging the living room modifications, she plotted to sketch out fresh designs at a later time.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Brenda went to answer it and found two women outside. "Who are you looking for?"
"Move aside, I'm here to see Mr. Abbott."
"Yeah, move! I'm Mr. Abbott's mother-in-law!"
Brenda couldn't stop the two women from barging in. "What are you doing? You can't go in!"
Seated on the couch, Susanna pivoted to confront the unexpected guests. Her expression clouded over. "What are you doing here?"
Olivia Miller, Susanna's grandma ran her hand over the leather sofa. "Susanna, I had no idea you married so well. If Lucas Melville hadn't slipped up, I wouldn't have known your husband lives in a villa."
Grace chimed in, "Didn't you say your husband was broke? That you used your money to treat Vincent and got kicked out of school to do housework? And now you have a maid? Susanna, you lied to us."
Susanna finally understood how Grace and Olivia found her. Lucas, the taxi driver, had only dropped her off nearby before; she had never revealed her exact address at the Abbott Villa to him. It was puzzling how he had pinpointed her residence.
Grace, eyeing the beautiful villa with envy, continued, "Susanna, we've nurtured you, raised you, and you just up and marry into luxury without even a word? How could you?" We missed out on all those perks. Do you have any idea how frustrating it was to comb through each house trying to find you?"
Susanna's anger boiled over. "You people are shameless. Get out! Whether I married well or not is none of your business."
Olivia started wailing, "If you dare kick me out, I'll tell the neighbors. You got rich and now you're throwing me and Grace out?"
Susanna was shaking with rage. How could people be so shameless? If they were anywhere else, she would have walked away, but this was the Abbott family home. She didn't want Aaron to see her family acting so despicably.
Grace, her eyes gleaming with a hint of greed, declared, "Susanna, if you find us so mortifying, why not just hand over the cash? I heard you clinched a million-dollar jackpot! Your brother is going to need it for his upcoming wedding and new home."
Susanna scoffed, "Are you out of your mind? His future has nothing to do with me! We're not even related anymore!"
"Isn't it obvious? We're still your legal guardians, after all. It's your obligation under the law to provide for us," Grace asserted unabashedly. "We did our research. Your brother is underage, so naturally the responsibility of raising him falls on you. If you ever get divorced and end up in poverty, you'll have to rely on him to support you!"
Susanna let out a bitter laugh. "You know he's underage? How on earth is he allowed to get married? It's pure fantasy to think I'd ever depend on him or associate with you in any way! Now, leave this instant!"
Grace raised an eyebrow. "If you won't give us money, then have your husband buy a house for your brother. A villa, preferably, with a couple of maids. That way, he won't have to worry about his future."
Olivia's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, that's brilliant! Grace, you're a genius. And I can definitely enjoy the luxury too!"
A villa? Susanna's patience snapped. With a decisive slam of her hand on the table, she declared, "Dream on! I won't give you a single dime, and forget about the villa! Get out now, or I'll call the cops!"
Olivia, enraged, rolled up her sleeves. "You dare call the cops? I'll tear that mouth of yours apart!"
She lunged at Susanna, but a cold, stern voice interrupted, "What do you think you're doing?"
Susanna turned to see Aaron walking in, impeccably dressed in his suit, clearly having rushed back from work. Her heart sank. She had hoped to resolve this before he found out, but there he was, back unexpectedly in the middle of the day. A wave of bitterness washed over her. Why did he always seem to catch her at her lowest moments?
